Roasted Squash Seeds

Our local farmer’s market ended in October, and it is always a sad thing when the tents get packed up, and you have to wait until late spring in order for the farmers to come back and setup up shop. In my opinion there is nothing better than shopping ‘local’, and getting to know the people you are buying from. Furthermore, their product, whether it be a simple tomato or head of kohlrabi, simply just tastes better. So towards the end of the market days, the farmers had seasonal products such as pumpkins, cabbages, brussel sprouts, and lots of squash. As I would head out in the early morning on my bike, I would ask my wife (if she were awake) if she wanted anything from the market, and a quick response that one particular morning was “squash”.

Now I will be totally honest with you, I never really grew up eating squash. I typically bypass squash at the market only due to the fact that childhood never yielded squash dishes at the table. I know how to handle squash and how to treat squash, but again, never really cooked with it. So I was happy when my wife said to get some squash.

When I returned home with my backpack full of vegetables, I placed the squash on the countertop as though it were an award that we had recently one for best burger award or something. Let me just say that “the award” sat on the counter for a few weeks as I passed it up on a daily basis, until one weekend morning I decided to make something of that squash.

I knew I wanted to roast the squash and do something with it, something along the lines of Shepherd’s Pie, or an Autumn’s mashed potato , but again, really no clue. I just knew I was going to roast it, and go from there.

This is how I came about these roasted squash seeds, and oh my, are they delicious.

When I split open the squash, I was exposed to a handful of attached seeds, and that is when it sparked the thought of making an attempt at roasting them. I’ve made a couple batches of pumpkin seeds in the past including a salt and butter style, as well as a cinnamon and sugar style, so I figured what the heck, let’s give this a go.

Ingredients:

1 whole butternut squash

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

generous pinch of salt

Now does it get any better than that? Three ingredients that when combined have amazing results.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper if you have it. I love using Reynolds parchment paper as it prevents a lot less cleanup when I am finished baking anything.

Using a large, sharp knife, lay the squash on its side, and carefully remove both ends of the squash. This allows a sturdier base when slicing in half.

Next, stand the squash upright. Place your knife in the middle of the squash and move it down the squash, slicing it in half.

Now the seeds are exposed. The first thing you will notice is that you do not have as nearly enough seeds as a pumpkin yields, but don’t worry, these will make a phenomenal snack.

Remove the seeds and place them in a bowl. Set the squash to the side, for another use (I will get to that later).

Remove the flesh from the seeds, then rinse with cold water.

Pat the seeds dry.

Add the melted butter and salt to the seeds, and give a good mix.

Add these to the baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for nearly 20 minutes, or until crunchy. Take a look at these about 10 minutes in to cooking, giving them a mix along the way.

The end result is, well, in my opinion, a much better seed than the traditional pumpkin. They are smaller and have a bit of color from the orange interior. Let’s just say when my daughter came home and saw the roasted squash seeds on the counter, that she ate every single one of them, saying in her girlish voice how good they were.

So the next time you are using squash, don’t pass up those seeds. Add a bit of love to them, give them a quick roast, and have them for a snack. Hope you enjoy!

Thank you for visiting my website. Truly, I do appreciate it. My free time and stress reliever is cooking for my family, friends, and everyone in between. The recipes you find on this site are those that I have either created, been part of, or those that I simply enjoy and have made my own in some shape, form, or other.
My focus has always been on comfort food, because at the end of a long work day, you want something comforting. I currently am the father of three children, and married to a wonderful wife of thirteen years. There is nothing fancy with these recipes, just simple, and I will admit, not so simple ingredients, and a simple kitchen corner I can call my own.
I learned early on that cooking and bringing family together was very important. After all, this notion of being together at dinner time was instilled early on by my parents. There are many memories of being in the kitchen with my parents, watching them cook, or preparing meals, or those home cooked smells while waiting for dinner. My parents who worked full-time, always had home cooked meals during the week, with the exception of Friday nights where we would enjoy a Wisconsin fish fry, and often on late afternoons on Sunday, where we would order Ann's pizza.
I tend to cook by making things up. As a home cook, I think you have to take chances, and add or subtract ingredients that make up a dish, and make them your own. Remember to taste, and taste often. If a dish has potential, try it again, and make it your own.
You should also note that I do not count calories, or break down recipes into grams of anything. To me, that's a bit boring. My philosophy is that if the food is good, eat it, and eat it in moderation. Life is just too short not to enjoy good food.
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